Civil War

In 2011, the nation began commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Although no actual battles were fought in Michigan, men—and women—from the state served throughout the war in more than 50 Michigan regiments of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and engineers, as well as in regiments of other states. These Michigan citizens were vital to the Union cause, and President Abraham Lincoln is quoted as exclaiming, “Thank God for Michigan!” when the state’s first troops arrived to serve.

As part of this sesquicentennial commemoration, University Archives & Historical Collections staff are transcribing and digitizing its collections relating to the Civil War. These materials—including hundreds of pages of correspondence, diaries, musters, reminiscences, and photographs—are now available online with more to come over time. Please visit our new Civil War Collections web site.

The research guide for The Civil War (PDF)* is available to the public. Check back as this document does get updated.